The social and political climate created by the Covid-19 pandemic provided right-wing extremist groups with a unique opportunity to expand their influence and mainstream their ideology, as...Show moreThe social and political climate created by the Covid-19 pandemic provided right-wing extremist groups with a unique opportunity to expand their influence and mainstream their ideology, as xenophobic and anti-government narratives increased in popularity. Due to the country-specific nature of the anti-Covid measures taken by governments, the effect of the pandemic on right-wing extremist groups and their propaganda might differ significantly across countries. This paper uses the framework of collective action frames to analyze how the frames used in the propaganda of the Dutch right-wing extremist group Voorpost have evolved since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis of Voorpost's Telegram messages revealed six main frames and six subframes. With the exception of two frames, the pandemic had a limited impact on the content or frequency of Voorpost’s frames, and often merely served to contextualize events or was used as a side narrative to promote frames that were already commonly used. However, Voorpost’s attitude towards the Covid-19 measures went through six distinct phases, demonstrating the group’s increasingly hostile attitude towards both the measures and the government. Despite the widespread use of conspiracy theories and misinformation campaigns by many other right-wing extremist groups during the pandemic, Voorpost’s propaganda only focused on the freedom-restricting nature of the Covid-19 measures.Show less
This paper is about a study on the ideology of the Dutch extreme-right group Studiegenootschap Erkenbrand. This study has identified two major themes through a thematic analysis of 8 months' worth...Show moreThis paper is about a study on the ideology of the Dutch extreme-right group Studiegenootschap Erkenbrand. This study has identified two major themes through a thematic analysis of 8 months' worth of website publications. The themes are envisioned as two vital aspects of securitization theory, referent objects, and existential threats. Theme one explores the racial worldview and the white race that Erkenbrand is trying to protect. Theme two illustrates that they believe that anti-Semitic conspiracy is an existential threat.Show less
In 2019 the Groyper Army led by political commentator Nicholas J. Fuentes launched a mobilization effort against mainstream conservative figures such as Charlie Kirk and Ben Shapiro. This ‘Groyper...Show moreIn 2019 the Groyper Army led by political commentator Nicholas J. Fuentes launched a mobilization effort against mainstream conservative figures such as Charlie Kirk and Ben Shapiro. This ‘Groyper War’ was fought to expose what the Groypers believe to be ‘fake conservatives.’ This research will analyze how this decentralized online movement managed to mobilize and create significant ripples offline. By performing a frame analysis on Fuentes’ three main digital media platforms and the various types of content on them, this research aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the modus operandi of the Groyper movement. This research argues that the Groyper War was able to take place through strategic and robust framing that was built upon a strong foundation of credibilityShow less
Over the past decade, Ukraine has been dealing with the increasingly aggressive neighbour Russia. The lack of capability of the government to deal with this security threat has allowed right-wing...Show moreOver the past decade, Ukraine has been dealing with the increasingly aggressive neighbour Russia. The lack of capability of the government to deal with this security threat has allowed right-wing extremism (RWE) to flourish. One movement that used this opportunity to grow into a strong actor in the war is the Azov movement. However, their military successes are overshadowed by their RWE affiliations. This has, besides their military successes, attracted foreign fighters from all over the world. Social network analysis (SNA) will be used to obtain insight into the emerging Ukrainian-Croatian right-wing extremism (RWE) network. This analysis finds that the political branch of the Azov movement plays a vital role in recruiting Croatians. Especially veterans of the Croatian War of Independence play a key role in the recruitment of other foreign fighters. This dangerous development allows right-wing extremists to gain more experience and grow more organized.Show less
This paper examines the level of diffusion of characteristics between the Dutch and American Proud Boys groups. It does so by comparing eight different characteristics of each group. The study has...Show moreThis paper examines the level of diffusion of characteristics between the Dutch and American Proud Boys groups. It does so by comparing eight different characteristics of each group. The study has found that there is only a marginal level of diffusion. Moreover, the study finds that there is limited information available on Dutch RWE networks and proposes that more research needs to focus on this. Additionally, it finds that researching small RWE groups should be approached differently. Instead of considering the group as one, each member should be researched independently, as ideologies can differ significantly between members of small groups.Show less
Extremist groups use branding and marketing strategies as a source of appeal for recruits. A visual rhetorical analysis is performed on Patriot Front’s offline propaganda content to consider how...Show moreExtremist groups use branding and marketing strategies as a source of appeal for recruits. A visual rhetorical analysis is performed on Patriot Front’s offline propaganda content to consider how the group’s brand is communicated to audiences. The analysis is conducted using Sonja K. Foss’ theoretical framework. The study shows that offline propaganda can function as a means of brand construction and brand placement for radical and extremist organisations. Offline propaganda can also serve the groups as a way of spatial demarcation and normalisation of controversial beliefs.Show less
Rechtsrock plays a key role in the right-wing extremist scene in Germany. Subcultural-oriented right-wing extremists hold a leading role in the organisation of Rechtsrock events and festivals....Show moreRechtsrock plays a key role in the right-wing extremist scene in Germany. Subcultural-oriented right-wing extremists hold a leading role in the organisation of Rechtsrock events and festivals. Right-wing extremists aim towards a young target group that feels a sense of identity and community when attending Rechtsrock events. Moreover, the events pose an opportunity for right-wing extremists to acquire financial means. The financial profit gained via Rechtsrock events, for example, via entrance fees and food stalls, can be used to finance activities and aims of right-extremists. The hypothesis of this thesis states that the implemented measures to combat the financing of right-wing extremism via Rechtsrock events lack strength and effectiveness. The research question: "Which strength do the legal and non-legal actions taken in Germany have to effectively combat the financing of right-wing extremism through Rechtsrock events and festivals since 2017?”, analyses the measures implemented at various Rechtsrock events. The chosen Rechtsrock events are the events with the highest attendance rates. The implemented measures at each event are assessed by using a theoretical three-step model as used by Weiss (2020). The results show that the measures are lacking in strength to effectively target the financing of right-extremism via Rechtsrock events. Three recommendations are presented to improve the current measures: Increase the insight into tax information of Rechtsrock events, investigate strains of financing via Rechtsrock events, and educate actors about right-wing extremist financing via Rechtsrock events.Show less
Based on the Alt-Right Movement in the United States, Study Association Erkenbrand was established in the Netherlands in 2016. Their ideology is based on the notion of White supremacy and therefore...Show moreBased on the Alt-Right Movement in the United States, Study Association Erkenbrand was established in the Netherlands in 2016. Their ideology is based on the notion of White supremacy and therefore they are against ethnic and racial blending. Ultimately, Erkenbrand wants to create a White ethnostate free from (minority) groups, such as migrants, Jews and Muslims. Therefore, Erkenbrand has their own website where they post propaganda articles about current social developments, events and other topics related to their different values within their ideology. This study aims to explore the themes within Erkenbrand’s propaganda articles in 2021 to analyze the nature of their content and which themes occur most often. Combining grounded theory with framing theory, 92 propaganda articles were analyzed to also investigate how Erkenbrand frames those key themes within their ideology to its followers as this could possibly radicalize them and/or stimulate them to use violence. Findings showed that key themes within Erkenbrand’s propaganda are nationalism, White supremacy, degradation of culture, anti-migration, and anti-left/liberal and anti-government sentiments. Furthermore, Erkenbrand argues that the White race is declining and being replaced by other ethnic groups due to mass immigration. According to Erkenbrand, the (leftist and/or liberal) government is to blame for not protecting the Western culture, tradition and White race by making secret agreements and conspiring against the ‘real’ Dutch citizens.Show less
Since 2008 the United States has suffered considerably more from right-wing natured attacks than any other form of domestic terrorism. Scholars in the field of various academic disciplines tried to...Show moreSince 2008 the United States has suffered considerably more from right-wing natured attacks than any other form of domestic terrorism. Scholars in the field of various academic disciplines tried to explain this rise on the basis of different American societal factors. From the political perspective, the different institutions on the local and federal levels have been the topic of research to analyze their contribution to the development of domestic terrorism. The Presidential office has been one of these research topics throughout the years. However, the current research presents a gap in the literature where the term of the 46th President Donald J. Trump is taken into account. Hence, the following research question: “Was right-wing terrorism more likely to occur during the second term of the Obama administration than in the first term of the Trump administration compared to all other variants of domestic terrorism in the United States?’’ A quantitative analysis including descriptive statistics, a bivariate correlation test and a multivariate regression test study two hypotheses on the significance level. Both are rejected, leading to the following conclusion; right-wing terrorism was not more likely to occur during the second term of the Obama administration than in the first term of the Trump administration compared to all other variants of domestic terrorism in the United States. With the addition of President Trump’s full term to the current literature on right-wing terrorism, potential gaps arise to test recent findings and reach different conclusions.Show less
Viking symbolism has a long history within the extreme-right and was found in recent actions by right-wing extremist. This research aimed to answer how Viking symbolism is used nowadays to market...Show moreViking symbolism has a long history within the extreme-right and was found in recent actions by right-wing extremist. This research aimed to answer how Viking symbolism is used nowadays to market the ideas of extreme-right groups. This is illustrated through a case study of two groups: the Nordic Resistance Movement & the Wolves of Vinland. By analysing 58 archived articles published on their English news websites, the author argues that Viking symbolism is found in the context of hypermasculinity, ethnocentrism and as empty signifiers. The author concludes that the Nordic Resistance Movement uses Viking symbolism to market their ideas on National Socialism for Scandinavia, whereas the Wolves of Vinland use it to market community and masculinity.Show less
What level of interconnectivity exists amongst the Nordic Resistance Movement and other right-wing extremist groups in Europe? How does the Nordic Resistance Movement use the Internet to interact...Show moreWhat level of interconnectivity exists amongst the Nordic Resistance Movement and other right-wing extremist groups in Europe? How does the Nordic Resistance Movement use the Internet to interact with foreign and transnational groups? This study will contribute to the field of social movements studies by examining these questions. Existing research on far-right extremism by violent social movements primarily focused on either offline or online dynamics. Therefore, this study will be focusing on offline dynamics and the Internet’s role as an interaction tool amongst European far-right extremist groups to gain a complete picture. This study is illustrated through Social Network Theory and the New Social Movement Theory by carrying out an instrumental case study to explore the level of interconnectivity between right-wing extremists’ organizations in Europe from 2006 onwards. Specifically, the research focuses on the Nordic Resistance Movement and its ties with European far-right movements. The author demonstrates that the European far-right movements and the Nordic Resistance Movement share many similarities based on the sociopolitical context, organizational dynamics, and individual motivations. In addition, the author discovered that the ties among the NMR and far-right extremist groups are strong. As a result of these similarities and evidence regarding the interaction among these groups, the author can determine the level of interconnectivity.Show less
The extreme right has been successful in transnationally mobilizing supporters of far-right ideologies online, and one of the platforms where this occurs are anonymous imageboards. This study...Show moreThe extreme right has been successful in transnationally mobilizing supporters of far-right ideologies online, and one of the platforms where this occurs are anonymous imageboards. This study examined the Finnish-language imageboard Ylilauta (Overboard), to analyze how the opponents of the extreme right are framed, and to distinguish the special characteristics of this Finnish context in relation to the wider online extreme right movement. Frame analysis of a discussion thread was conducted via textual analysis of the posted messages and content analysis of the posted visuals. The author demonstrates that the participants operate under a common master frame of the ‘antagonistic political Left’ along with expressing grievances against Muslims, non-whites, feminism and LGBTQ+ rights, environmentalism and the mainstream media. The author argues that while constructing these shared enemies and opposing ideologies, the participants reference phenomena related to the Finnish context to provide support for their arguments, and the Finnish language and meme culture allows for an aggressive adversarial frame construction. The findings offer valuable localized knowledge, which can enhance the overall understanding of this transnational movement.Show less
Right-wing extremists are becoming increasingly interested in joining the military. Military skills, tactical training and access to weapons and ammunition is considered very valuable for them....Show moreRight-wing extremists are becoming increasingly interested in joining the military. Military skills, tactical training and access to weapons and ammunition is considered very valuable for them. Unfortunately such individuals with military experience, a belief system that is anti-democratic, and a desire to change the status quo of society – while being prepared to use unlawful methods to accomplish this – can be a threat to national security. This threat has to be eliminated. A task for the military therefore is: to prevent right-wing extremists from joining the military. This research focuses on a case study of the Dutch military and their approach to prevent the presence of right-wing extremists in their ranks. The policy is evaluated, using a framework that describes five types of extremists that can be encountered within the extreme right. This study is conducted in a field that is not very transparent, there is a lot of possibly valuable information classified and makes for a conclusion with a lot of unknowns – but these unknowns also generate a lot of possibilities.Show less
